Catts and Dogs
by DeliciousWaffles
Summary: Saito Hiraga looked up but couldn't exactly make out anything. His head was aching and spinning, feeling like he was being pulled in five directions at once. It took him a moment but he finally managed to get enough of a barring to find a curious face and a mountain range. That jiggled. Cattleya summons Saito. AU.


Author: Turns out inspiration is harder to get for a fic than I thought it would. Second chapter to TNTD hit a hurdle, so blowing off steam by writing this fic and seeing if anything pops up…for the fic that I was writing to blow off steam to get onto KoVS. Which was a replacement/steam blower for SDotLE (this has become a habit hasn't it? Oh god). Probably should have proof read this too, come to think of it but meh.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 1

"Who are you?"

_Saito Hiraga_ looked up but couldn't exactly make out anything. His head was aching and spinning, feeling like he was being pulled in five directions at once. It took him a moment but he finally managed to get enough of a barring to find a curious face and a mountain range. That jiggled.

Reddish-brown eyes danced inquisitively and shined with delight. The smile she sent at him was breath taking, and pulled back a lock of extravagantly groomed pink hair that practically glowed.

Was he in heaven? Did he die and see an angel?

"Cattleya. Move away from him."

She blinked and looked dissatisfied; straightening her-self (he didn't even realize she was leaning over) to glare over at whomever was the voice. "Why?" She questioned.

"Because he's a strange man in our house," The voice said dryly. Saito creaked his head to the side and had a gander at the source. An older, yet still just as beautiful, woman stared down at him with…he wanted to say distaste. But there was only so much someone could tell from her semi-stoic expression. She was dressed richly, purple European dress form fitting and modest. A quick one offer proved that nothing but her hands and head were visible. She had a stick in her hands and pointed right at him.

Next to her was a gentlemanly man. Strong built, garbed in the same brand of purple and baring a well trimmed mustache. He too had barely anything visible. In his hands looked what appeared to be a staff, tipped with a red crystal.

It looked pretty authentic too. Were they actors? Was he in some Hollywood set?

"That I brought here." The pretty lady stated. She had moved in front of him, hands on her hips. She was blocking out the sight of the other lady. The younger lady, unlike the other too, had just been wearing a simple white, err, blouse? He wanted to say so but couldn't be sure from the back. And a long, flowing skirt to go with what looked like two boots. Rather plain compared to the other two. But certainly more to his tastes.

"Move."

"I refuse."

"Cattleya," the man started, "listen to your mother. We can't allow a-"

"No," She repeated, crossing her arms, "He's my familiar. I'm not having you shred him the moment I've managed to summon something."

"He's a _peasant_, Cattleya," the woman clarified. Out of the two in opposition she seemed the stricter of the two. The gentleman standing next to her sounded like the cool, old dependable type that Saito could approve of. "Peasants are not familiars."

"But I summoned him," The young lady asserted, sounding like a broken record.

"Um," Saito had finally spoken up, lifting him-self into a cross legged sitting position. The young lady looked over her shoulder at him. He couldn't see what the others were doing. But Saito knew he couldn't keep quiet forever. No, the young man needed to assert him-self with something strong and manly.

"…Hi?"

Well, that was certainly lame.

The woman in front of him, Cattleya if he heard them right, smiled; "Hello" She greeted him simply, relaxing her stance a bit.

"My lord!" Attention was jerked towards what sounded like a door knob rattling in the other two's direction. "My lord! We heard an explosion! What's wrong!?"

"Nothing!" The man called out, sounding a bit nervous, "nothing at all! Cattleya had just used a bit of magic is all!"

"Magic?" Saito tilted his head to the side, confused. The new angle allowed him to see the older lady once more. She was scowling.

"Is she alright!?" The man behind the door called out. The door knob was moving frantically at this point.

"Yes, she's perfectly fine. Energetic even!" The man assured, calling over his shoulder. "It's fine! We're all fine! Everything's fine! Be on your way Wilfred!" That didn't sound suspicious at all.

Cattleya looked back at him and winked. Saito gave her a blank stare, unsure of how to respond. Then, cupping her hands, the beauty called out to the man behind the door, "Wilfred!" She cried cheerfully, "I summoned a familiar!"

The silence that followed was pliable.

Then, Saito heard an enthusiastic shout from behind the door, "F-familiar!? Th-that's w-w-wonderful! M-marvelous! I-I…Oh my young lady! I-I'm so proud of you!"

"Well, that makes one of you." She murmured and turned her attention towards the other two, who by now Saito had put together were her parental figures.

Oi, he didn't know what was going on but even he thought this was being a little too reckless.

"I-I must inform the head staff!" Saito could hear a stampede of footsteps rush away from them, accompanied with a call of "I'm sorry!" and "Pardon me!"

Her mother, who had been opening her mouth to say something, closed it with grit and glared down at Saito. He didn't usually fold under someone else's glare, he'd gotten his share in his lifetime but there was something about this woman that was just inherently scary and threatening.

So he turned his gaze elsewhere. Peeking around the room with a rotation of the head he'd spotted quite a few expensive looking pieces of furniture; European design, of course, and all looking completely spotless. The room was pretty large, big enough that there was a pretty solid distance between him and Cattleya and her parent's way across the room.

"Um, question?" Saito spoke up. Cattleya looked over to him once more. "That guy said there had been an explosion? Everything looks fine in here."

The pinkette pointed down. "That's because of the seal we placed before hand. It kept the mess to a minimal."

Saito's sight followed her finger to the intricately designed arcane rune scribbled into the wooden floor. The lines and symbols were a dull rusty color. It was relatively small, he thought, only barely holding him-self and the young lady within its bounds. This was probably the reason he hadn't seen it before.

"Oh," he hit his fist down into an open palm, "I see." Saito nodded.

A flash of wind blew past. Saito blinked. Why was the roof upside down? He was still feeling dizzy, probably. But that didn't explain the sudden surge of pain in his everything. There was a cry and footsteps rushing towards him. Before the young man knew it he was forced into something soft and plush. There was a hand on his head.

"…her…" Bluh, words. Go away.

"…our-…od Cattleya." He grunted. They were getting a little more solid.

"-'t believe you!" There we go. Saito could finally understand again.

Just in time to see a stick practically shoved into his face.

Saito was in a new position now. He was in the back of the room, right next to the dresser. At his front of the mother, stoic and wooden pointer aimed at him. By his side was the young lady from before, clinging to him, shoving Saito protectively into her-self. She was practically hovering over him.

And yes, his head was in her chest. It was the greatest moment of his life.

"Move aside, Cattleya," The woman leveled her stick.

"No!"

"I did that intentionally, you know. Shoot under you. So you wouldn't be hurt."

"I noticed! And I'm not allowing you to do it again."

"You're behaving like a child, girl," 'Mother' narrowed her eyes; "don't think I won't blast you to get to him."

"Would you?" Cattleya questioned, returning her mother's glare, "Would you really?"

"Try me."

Silence had taken hold of the room once more. It wasn't the kind of wacky acceptance due to circumstances with the man from before. This was the kind of stiffing, deathly silence that raised the heart rate. Cattleya was staring down her mother, unblinking, tightening her grip on him. Her mother, who was the scariest woman he'd ever met in his life, was unflinching and imperialist. She didn't seem like she'd back down. The father, Saito assumed, was in the background – staff in hand and quietly watching the turn of events. Or maybe he was afraid he'd spark something if he spoke up? Saito wasn't sure.

Then after what seemed like an eternity, the mother faltered, just slightly. "Please, Cattleya, move." Her stick wasn't completely down but it was still hanging ominously. Given what they mentioned before regarding magic and the whole rune on the ground deal, Saito was going to assume, or at least call it, a 'wand' for connivance. "We can't afford a stranger with what's happening in-"

"Mother," Cattleya lowered her head slightly. Her seemingly rebellious behavior was waning. She licked her lips. "Mother," she restated, more firmly, straightening her-self. "This is the one thing I've always wanted. You know this."

"We've given you plenty of-"

"Substitutes? Things to distract me? For when you locked me up in my room like…like an _embarrassment_." Cattleya gritted her teeth.

The mother's stoic expression slipped. Just barely, "You were sick, Cattleya. We couldn't do anything about it before."

"But now we can. I can." Cattleya said softly, sounding mournful, "He's proof, mother. I can use magic. Real magic. Do you know how much that means to me?" She questioned quietly.

Gradually, Saito raised his hands up defensively, open palmed and trying to show he meant no harm. "I'm sorry." He stated, "I'm not sure what I've done but don't be mad at your…daughter is she? She hasn't done anything wrong." At least he hoped she hadn't. What exactly happened before he came to?

Why was he even here for that matter?

"I think," a hand found its way to the woman's shoulder, "That she should be given a chance." The father still had his rubie staff pointed at them with his other but he was more relaxed. He sent a look to Saito, eyes met and an understanding was reached in that brief moment.

The mother gave him a look and opened her mouth to say something, "Let me ask you this; when was the last time your daughter this energetic over something?" That mouth found it-self closed. "Exactly. One chance."

He moved past her towards the two of them. Cattleya tightened her grip a bit more. He placed a hand up and lowered his ruby staff but didn't let it go. "You still haven't completely the ritual, Cattleya. We aren't even sure he's a familiar at all," The pinkette had motioned to say something but her father cut the young woman off, "This is your chance. Show us he's the real deal."

"I think that would be the best?" Saito backed up the man. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulder.

Cattleya paused and turned attention to Saito. Saito sent her a look upward. She glanced away. "I," Cattleya sounded meek, "I-I…suppose that's fair,"

A hand took hold of his and lifted it up. She gave him a reassuring squeeze. "My name is **Cattleya Yvette La Baume Le Blanc de La Fontaine**," Saito stirred, his head thumbing suddenly, "Pentagon of the **five elemental powers**;" He felt it again. Saito jerked his hand lightly, half-minded, "**bless** this humble being, and make him **my familiar.**"

She kissed him on his knuckle and gave him a hopeful smile.

The build-up had hit him hard. It felt like a shock had run through his system, centering in on a single point – his left hand. He screamed, clinching his eyes in pain. Something burned on his hand, trailing across it in a blue flash. He waved it around, smacking it into him-self, the ground and even Cattleya to get it to stop. He'd have torn off his own hand if he could get it to just _end_. The pinkette was frantically trying to get him to calm down.

The pain had stopped, eventually, almost instantly when it did. He leaned back into whatever it was he was resting on. Cattleya? Was that it? And clawed at where the burning at been with what little energy he had.

Saito creaked an eye open, vision blurred and searched for answers to the sudden everything in pain. Again. He had to blink a few times to get anything visible and felt something roll down his cheek. It'd almost felt like…a tear? Had he been crying?

What he found was the entirety of the room's occupants staring down at something.

"Well?" Cattleya sounded tense, "Is this proof enough for you?"

His left hand was lifted upward in presentation. It was then that he managed to see what they did. Lines and symbols had found their way to his hand. He squinted at them, head still woozy and looked up at the parents on a whim. They stared at it quietly. A look at their expressions could tell you that their minds were running laps round' their heads. Or at least the man's expression. The mother seemed only slightly pulsed at what happened.

"Branding," the man finally breathed, "he's a familiar."

"Like I told you," Cattleya commented, sounding more confident than she had before. She was practically gleeful when she turned to him, "And you!" She started, smiling beautifully, "…It hurt you that was obvious. But you managed to pull through." The pinkette brushed a few bangs of hair from his forehead and delivered a soft kiss to it. "You were _very_ brave."

Saito groaned. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate a kiss from a pretty lady but this was on the level of an adult kissing a child and telling them everything was all better now. He'd roll his eyes if everything wasn't already spinning in circles.

"We," the father licked his lips and gave the two a weird look. Almost a little fearful, "We will…need to look into this." He locked eyes with Saito again, this time becoming a staring contest. "For now, he'll be held-"

"Not in the dungeons," Cattleya asserted, "That is, of course, you want me going down there every day to check on my familiar?"

"I was going to say held under house arrest and supervision." The man gave his daughter a displeased look for her bad manners, "Which means you'll be held here too, until we've cleared up exactly what kind of familiar he is."

Cattleya frowned, "But you promised-"

"Cattleya, please, this is serious. We've…I've never heard of a human familiar." Then his expression shifted. It took on a harder edge, serious, unyielding. This wasn't 'daddy' any more. This was the head of the household speaking now. That was the impression Saito was getting. "You will stay until we've examined and identified his runes. You are not to leave the premises for any reason; including visiting Louise or Éléonore. Especially Louise or Eleonore. We don't want to worry them over this when they've a schedule to keep."

The young lady looked put down by the declaration but replied obediently, "...No, father, we don't." She sounded crestfallen.

"Good," He turned to the mother, "Karin, do you have anything to add? "

The mother, who had been silent since the whole ow my everything gave him one intense look. It seemed like she was searching for something. Examining him? As a threat? As someone with promise? He didn't know. Then her expression returned to a stoic disposition. "No,"

"Well then," attention was turned back to him, "And you, boy? Might I ask what your name is?"

"…Um…Saito, sir. Saito Hiraga."

"An odd name," The man smiled at him, "but not a bad one, I'd think."

"Thank you sir." Saito gave a tentative smile back. "But may I ask something?"

"I don't see why not. You've been inquiring about everything else." The man said with good humor.

Saito gave the man a serious nod and opened his mouth to ask, "What's magic?"

_**O**_kay. Saito looked around at his confines. Maybe that wasn't the best joke to make to the head of the household.

It wasn't like where he was at the moment was bad. A bland room with a bed to sleep on, a bucket to piss in…and that was about it. At least he wasn't in some medieval dungeon. That would have been painful. He even had enough room to stretch. And they feed him twice a day. That was something right?

He just couldn't really go anywhere.

Lying on his bed, leg crossed over another and one hand behind his head. The other, the one with the runes, was in front of his face as he examined it. It was on his top three favorite things to do in his confines. The young man had spent the last two weeks picking up such fascinating hobbies as counting imaginary dots on the ceiling and timing swirling lent loops.

They'd taken down his symbol before shoving him in here. With their reactions and his well-versed knowledge of light novels, he understood that this was important. It was 'Magic'.

Magic, huh?

It was a real thing.

Back when he first thought it was all some joke with actors messing with him, Saito hadn't thought such a thing could be real. It wasn't in his life. And he'd no actual reason to believe it was real anywhere else.

So when Duke, as the father of Cattleya had been identified as, used magic to bring to life the pen that scribbled down his hand's markings exactly; Saito Hiraga had been convinced…after the Duke had graced his request for a better example and proof with lifting _him_ up into the air.

Also, he was in another world.

Saito felt like he should have probably been more panicky about that. Another glance at the familiar magic on him made the young man figure it had something to do with the powers that bound him to Cattleya; who, speaking of which

He turned a passing glance at the door regularly. Saito could hear what went on past the wooden frame and see the slivers of shadows under its threshold. Shame all the conversations seemed to be polite greetings between the help and the guards switching duty standing menacingly in front of his door. But what he did get, daily, was one lovely visitor.

"_Good evening gentlemen,"_ he heard the cheerful, if muffled, call from behind the door.

There was a grunted "Ma'am" from both of the men.

"_You two have been working pretty hard guarding him right? Hmmhmm, I think you deserve a break."_ He could practically see the smile she had on her-self. It was rather infectious, Saito learned, even when you couldn't see it.

The Ma'am that came afterwards was a bit paused and steps could be heard motioning away from the door. _"Saito?"_ He heard her call out to him. _"Are you up?"_

It had become a thing soon after he was incarcerated. Practically the first day, even. Cattleya had made it a habit visit him at least once a day. They couldn't do much given he was stuck behind a door but that didn't seem to damper her enthusiasm.

The first few days were still a bit awkward. She was the one who initiated the conversation. While the guards were still there, of course, couldn't risk their Lord's daughter to a hooligan prisoner. He tried to be as accommodating and helpful as he could, because honestly when was the last time he got to frequently talk with a woman as beautiful as Cattleya? But there just wasn't much she could talk about regarding, well, him beyond 'are you okay' and 'is your room okay?' And he could only feign interest so much.

He'd have cracked a "my piss bucket is doing fine, m'lady, thanks for asking" joke but he didn't think she'd get the sarcasm.

But she had moved past that, eventually, on one particularly evening when she told him how beautiful the _two_ full moons outside were and how she wished he could see them. Now that caught his interest.

It was around here, with a little prodding, that the concept he'd long considered during his alone time had been semi confirmed – Saito Hiraga was in another world.

"_Saito?"_ She called out a second time, a little hesitant.

Saito slipped him-self over the mattress, took a moment to stretch and get up to head to the door. "I'm right here, Catt," He replied. The young man turned and leaned back against the door, one leg over the other and arms crossed. The door creaked a bit under his weight.

"_Ah, I'm glad."_ She hummed in approval. A bit of shuffling and the door creaked once more. He could feel her weight pushing back against it. Didn't seem like a particularly secure door but eh, he guessed that's one of the reasons they needed guards hovering around the entrance in the first place.

The first time he'd leaned up against the door he'd just been trying to hear her better - or so was his excuse. Reality of it was Saito Hiraga was just feeling lazy. When she asked why the door was squeaking, he told her he was leaning on it and joked this was how they did things in his country.

Hesitantly, and assuredly, she'd actually believed him and followed his example.

Bit gullible there, aren't we master?

But now it had become a sort of thing to do when the two of them were talking…without the guards. They seemed pretty resilient about leaving their posts before. But eventually she'd manage to get them to leave for a couple of minutes. Ten or so, if being trapped in this confinement hadn't muddled his sense of time.

"_Hey Saito?"_ She called out from behind the door.

"Yeah?" His reply flowed out into a yawn, blinking his eyes shut and mouth widening in response.

"_Can you tell me more about 'your world'?"_

She seemed reasonably accepting of his claims to be from another world. He wasn't sure if it was just her gullible attitude (which probably helped) or if she simply liked how it was similar to those novels she read. It turned out that the magical fantasy land with wizards and late medieval technology and, gets this; _dragons_ had stories about giant castle like buildings that stretched to the sky. With church like painted windows and kids that ate shaved colored ice on a whim.

It sounded a bit too suspicious but there wasn't much he could do to confirm it. When she managed to slip a page under the door he couldn't read a letter of the language and had nothing to really decipher it. Cattleya didn't want to help him learn it with what little time they had during her visits, so he was up a creek.

"Which part? The 'castles in the sky' again? Or maybe you want to know more about 'video games'?"

Explaining to a woman whose lived in fantasy medieval ages about glass squares that were powered by electric strings and showed people on them was…surprisingly easy. What? Did you think it'd be hard? Well it was. Up and until he'd managed to get her past 'electricity isn't that easy. Electricity shouldn't be that easy'. It was a high level kind of magic here from what she'd told him. The very thought of his people playing with it on a daily basis was mind boggling to her.

After he got that through her head, which he didn't think she was entirely accepting of the concept, he could move on to other things.

"Neither," she replied calmly, then shyly asked, "U-um, can you tell me more about those 'Steel birds'?"

Saito smiled and talked about the airplanes they had in his world. He didn't get into the heavy handed aviation history of things. The teenager hadn't really bothered to study much with history (to his parent's protests) or knew much about aerodynamics. And honestly, he didn't think Cattleya cared for it either. So instead he spoke about how they soared in the sky.

Living in Japan, he clearly had the chance to see air flights from time to time above him. His father did a lot of traveling too for his job. So he stepped into airport occasionally to see the man off. But those big clunky things weren't impressive enough Saito thought. Was he jaded to the idea of man-made flight?

Probably.

So he told her about the jets of his world. If the steel birds from before were big, clunky looking slabs of tube metal that flew through the air, these were the sleek and fast fighters of the sky. He'd never actually seen a fighter in action. But he'd played enough Ace Combat to get a rough, digital idea of it. He just hoped she never got magic'd to his world and learned firsthand how they worked to call him out on it. That'd just be embarrassing.

She seemed taken in by the idea of soaring fast and flying high. He'd managed to learn from their talks that people here rode around on dragons. When Saito told her the very idea that they could ride around anywhere on giant lizards was absurd, Cattleya had pointed out so was the idea of making a giant piece of metal fly across the world without magic. He conceded to the point, if only so he didn't have to explain gasoline and engines second hand.

"_Your world is pretty amazing, Saito."_ She commented after his latest lecture on them had ended.

Saito opened an eye with a smile, "It is." He had to honestly admit, especially after being in this world for awhile. He missed air conditioning.

"…_Does it really not have any magic?"_ She asked doubtfully.

"None at all." Saito felt his lips twitch a little higher. This was a topic they always came back to, regardless of what had been discussed. Cattleya seemed like she could almost anything. It was just only this one topic that she was reluctant to accept. Saito thumped his head back into the door. "It's just fantasy where I live."

"_I-I see…"_ She trailed off indecisively.

"We don't really have nobles anymore, either, come to think of it." Saito commented offhandedly, not planning to go anywhere with it.

"_N-no nobles?"_ Cattleya made a choking noise trying to get that out.

"Well, in some countries. My own still has the royal family. But they're figureheads, really." Saito placed a finger on his chin. "After World War two, America came in and turned it into a democracy of the people. Or so they claimed. I think they just didn't like the royal family being worshiped." Or the absolute power that held, really.

"_W-"_ she started. Cattleya sounded shaken, _"W-w-w-world war?!"_

"Yeah, my world's had a war that spanned continents."

One that his country lost but he wasn't about to specify that.

He heard gasping noises behind the door. Saito turned aside to look at the wooden frame. "Catt? Are you okay?"

"_I-I'm fine,"_ The pinkette breathed, sounding terrible, _"G-give me a moment…"_

"_M'lady?"_ A familiar gruff voice called from behind the door. _"Is something wrong?"_ It seemed like the men had finally come back to check up on her.

"_O-oh? Yes, I'll be fine."_ She assured the returned guards.

Saito sighed, knowing their time was up. He moved off the door. The teenager didn't usually give any good-byes to Cattleya at the end. He simply moved back to his spot on the bed and went to sleep afterwards.

Listening in to their conversation, her asserting it was her illness catching up to her and the guards being skeptical, Saito found him-self drifting off to sleep.

_**I**_t had been a solid month before they finally released him from his confines. Saito knew this because he'd been using a coin of yen to scratch days into his bed post. As he'd remembered some time before, they'd actually failed to check his pockets. It was a house arrest sure but you'd think they'd have fiddled through his pants for anything dangerous. Not that he had anything he could harm someone with, mind, given just a few yen and some string.

Two and a half weeks since he started keeping count. On top of what the teenager had been counting before, it was roughly a month. A little over that, really, but semantics.

When they had removed him from that dark room, chains slapped on his wrists and lead by a guard entourage, he'd walked through most of the house eyes closed. The butler had told him that Saito needed to readjust to the bright lights. The teenager numbly acknowledged his reasoning. Saito was just happy to be out of what he termed affectionately "The closet."

It had only been when they'd closed in on a wooden door at the end of a hall on the second floor that he risked opening his eyes. The hall looked furnished well enough, some plants and adorned furniture, paintings on either side in what little hall he saw before stepping through into the room.

There waiting in front of her desk was the mother – Karen, Saito thought her name was. She was standing next to new man; his robes where bluish-grey, with his most noticeable features being a wooden staff nearly as tall he was and a balding head. He looked far more eager than his counterpart, who was keeping to her usual stoicism.

"Hello," Saito offered politely, nodding to both of them. Behind him were two guards. He wasn't sure if they were the same ones that had been watching his door before and he honestly didn't care. To his side was the butler, who possessed a mustache on par with Cattleya's father.

A glance of curiosity to the guards behind him revealed a similar well groomed facial hair. Was that just a thing with this estate? Was it a _requirement_?

"Good day Saito," Karen greeted and nodded to the guards, "That will be all, you're dismissed."

After the guards had departed, it was just him, the butler, Karen and the man. She motioned towards the new arrival, "This man's name is Colbert, a professor at the Tristain's Academy of Magic. He has been asked to examine your runes. You will allow him to do so without complaint. Understood?"

Saito nodded. No point in making a scene and getting him-self in trouble.

"It's very good to meet you, Mr. Saito!" Colbert said cheerfully, approaching with energy, "Now, I don't mean to be rude but would you care to show me…?" It was what he was here for and they could have force Saito to do it by force. But the young man was appreciating the politeness in the man's tone.

Presenting his left hand, Saito thumbed the top with his right hand. Colbert immediately took hold of hand, jerking the boy forward and practically shoving his face into the back of Saito's hand. "Mmm," he murmured, motioning Saito's hand from right to left, carefully examining what was on it. His hands were a bit shaky and if Saito flipped the perspective a bit, he thinks it'd remind him of something akin to an old fashioned type-writer going down a page.

When it felt like the man had taken longer than what was needed for comfort, the teenager looked to Karen for help. He didn't know why he did, given her usual temperament but it felt like she was the only one in the room who had any real authority on the matter. She gave him a stoic if serious expression back. Like it almost seemed she was angry but wasn't quite there yet. Saito thought that was her default expression for all things.

"Fascinating," Colbert breathed, finally letting go of Saito's hand. The teenager was quick to retrieve it back to the safety of his personal bubble, "Karen," he turned his attention to the imperialist woman in the room, "These are exactly the right size and shape of the runes needed!"

Karen gave a small nod. "But that is not enough," she continued, "We want real proof."

"Well," he pulled his robes open and reached inside, grabbing around for something. Out slipped a thick paper-let of something that the clumsy man was forced to bend over to pick up. "A-aha, ahem, I believe you received the copy of the thesis I sent before?" Karen nodded again, "If you'll turn to page 27, subsection 3-."

"No," Karen shut that down quick, "Just show me Colbert,"

"Aha, w-well," The older gentleman sent Saito a look. The teenager gave him a wary eye back. "He'll need to hold a weapon."

Karen paused for but a moment. "Wilfred, you keep a knife on you?"

"Of course."

"Give it to him."

Casually the butler reached into his suit and pulled out a sheathed knife. It looked plain but reliable, Saito thought. The older gentleman offered the blade to Saito. The teenager sent a hesitant look to Karen. With a flick of the wrist she had the wand out and he knew from experience she was more than willing to send him flying. She stared at him, motioning once with her wand.

Gulping, the young man wrapped his hands around the handle and gripped it. Dazzling light shinned across his left hand. The runes had taken aglow and Saito felt something course through his system. Power and strength, body churning with an infallible might. He felt a valor he never once knew and his very being tingled with magic. It was like it was like until this moment, he hadn't been 'whole'. From the moment he got these runes – no, even before then, since before when he was in his world, since the day he was born, he had never felt complete until the moment this magic took hold of him.

And mutely, did Saito release the grip of the handle, and return his hands to his side. He bit his lip, eying the weapon, suddenly feeling very naked without a weapon in his hand. But he knew better than to antagonize the woman before him.

"This," Colbert stated, sending a look at Karen, "Is irrefutable proof. This young man is a Gandalfr!" Colbert placed a hand on Saito's shoulder.

"Gandalf?" Saito parroted the term and mispronounced it with ease.

"A _Gandalfr_, Mr. Saito, it's-."

"A special kind of familiar." Karen had cut off Colbert's explanation. She apparently didn't have the patients to put up with what looked like an older professors long winded explanations. While Karen was still trying to keep her strict appearance, she was slipping. The lady of the household looked worried, "And that would mean Cattleya is a Void user."

"…Yes. She is," Colbert seemed to shrink in on him-self, enthusiasm draining.

There was a stilled pause sent through the room. It was an uncomfortable silence, originating by some revelation that Saito didn't have a clue in regards to. He sent glances at all three, with all three baring some grim determination as their thoughts spun a thousand miles a second. Even Karen had slipped at this discovery and he could read her face pretty well.

But he couldn't take it anymore, "So can I get these off me now?" Saito lifted up his cuffed wrists and gave them a shook for emphasis.

Probably hadn't been the smartest thing to ask in such a tense atmosphere. Karen's expressions shifted in a way he'd never seen on the woman, starting in a mix of surprise and anger for breaking her train of thought and ending in something akin to a remorseful sigh. "Wilfred,"

Key in, lucks open, cuffs off; Saito smiled when the metal came off, then winced and rubbed his sore wrists.

"Saito," Karen had called for his attention. She had taken back to behind her desk, sitting down and placing her hands in front of her. The wand was gone for a moment but Saito figured she still had it somewhere on her. "Due to the presented evidence and with the confirmation from Colbert, you will be officially recognized as a Familiar of the Valliere family."

"Okay," He wasn't sure whether or not he should be excited about this. Given her attitude and his general treatment up to this point...

"Isn't it marvelous, Master Saito? You'll be able to move into more decent quarters." Wilfred assured him. Saito cracked a smile at that. Yeah, that certainly sounded better than his closet.

"Yes," Karen agreed, then gave Saito a pointed stare, "You will be allowed to explore the premises, such as the inside of the estate. You are not, however, allowed to exit this mansion without permission." By permission he took it as hers, "Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am," His answer sounded a little more approving than the last.

"Very well, Wilfred, if you could escort him to his new room?" The butler gave a modest bow to the woman, who turned to Colbert, "And Colbert, we've a few things to discuss on the matter."

"A-ah, of course, Karen."

Saito wanted to hear more on the matter, given it was about him and Cattleya but the butler had been eager to step them both out the door. He was stirring Saito out of the room with a hand on the teenagers back, gently pushing him away and where the man needed him to be with a 'come along, Master Saito'.

Saito clicked his tongue but obeyed. The young man knew he'd learn everything _eventually_. He just didn't want to know some dark secret until shit had already hit the fan and they were absolutely forced to tell him and Cattleya. That would be such a pain.

Oh well, at least he'd have something to look forward to now.

Cleaner sheets. Beautiful ladies. A lack of piss bucket.

Life was looking slightly better.

…He still missed air conditioning.

Chapter 1

Author: So, yeah, this is a thing? Friends seem to like it so I can work on it whenever I'm in a rut with other things.

Hope you enjoyed'. Though I'll be honest and say I wasn't exactly goin all out on this'. Maybe in the future.


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